


I Don't Want To Leave (But I Can't Stay)

by GayPotatoQueen



Category: Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World
Genre: Also Maya and Riley are such little shits, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Autistic Shawn Hunter, But he has to stop self sabotaging first, Chet Hunter's ghost just saving the day, Cory is literally just the best human being, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Is Gay, How Do I Tag, Internal Conflict, M/M, Mr.Feeny also saved the day, No beta reader, Post-Canon, Sexual Content, Shawn wants to be happy, i love them, im dying like a man, just wants to spend his entire life with Shawn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:20:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27651238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayPotatoQueen/pseuds/GayPotatoQueen
Summary: It's been two years since Cory divorced Topanga and four years since he started dating Shawn, he thought everything was going perfect. The kids are happy, he gets to work at the school with his boyfriend, what else can make this better? However beneath it all, Shawn is struggling to believe he deserves any of it, lately he has been thinking about the divorce and if it was all his fault, that he ruined the lives of a photo perfect family.Now teetering on the edge of self-destructing, Shawn has to figure out if for once he'll stay and let himself be happy with someone he loves or decide to leave everyone behind in an effort to make things right.Aka Shawn wants to be happy but he's having self doubts and might end up hurting those he loves because he's an idiot.
Relationships: Background Topanga Lawrence-Matthews/Katy Hart, Maya Hart/Riley Matthews, Shawn Hunter/Cory Matthews, Topanga Lawrence-Matthews & Cory Matthews
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> How unexpected is this story? Who would've thought I would be writing a girl meets world fanfic? Definitely not me!
> 
> All I have to say is Girl Meets World would've been better if Riley had gay dads, just putting that out there!

Riley was upstairs in her room getting ready for school, she was looking into her mirror as she brushed her hair to silky perfection. She had a grin on her face as she shot her reflection the finger guns before twirling around and heading for her closet. She threw her clothes onto her bed before going through them, she decided on a white sweater and a yellow pleated skirt, while making sure to wear a pair of black tights underneath to avoid her father running at full speed towards her, squawking like a bird to ‘put on a pair of pants woman!’ Riley couldn’t help but to giggle as she tied her shoes, she really loved her dad, and especially loved seeing how happy he was lately.

The teen grabbed her school bag and rushed down the stairs, quickly skidding to a stop when she saw her dad still here on the couch, he should’ve been at school at least twenty minutes ago, but she could understand why he got side-tracked. There was Shawn on the couch with him, his legs draped over his lap as they drank their coffee together. Riley covered her mouth to keep from giggling, as she watched her father’s ears grow red when Shawn pulled him close to whisper something that she couldn’t quite hear, but his reaction was priceless either way.

“Don’t you love birds have places to be?” And here comes Maya, bursting through the front door without a care in the world. “Ya know, like work?” Asked the blonde, a smirk on her face.

Riley finally broke down laughing as Cory quickly stood up, knocking Shawn off of his lap and onto the floor, his arm in the air to save the carpet from the coffee. Through her tears she could see her dad on the verge of a mental breakdown.

“Did any of it get on the carpet!? Oh god Topanga is gonna kill me, that was her mother’s favorite carpet!” Cory looked ready to either throw up or start crying hysterically… maybe even both, you never really knew with him. “Riley get the dish soap! Maya get some water!” He didn’t even acknowledge the fact that his very own boyfriend had went flying and could’ve very well had hot coffee dunked on him.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine too Cor.” Scoffed Shawn playfully as he rolled his eyes, getting back to his feet as he showed off the well protected coffee mug. “Also don’t freak out, the carpet is safe! I guarded it with my life.” He held up his hand in scout’s honor, not that he had ever been a scout but he did make fun of one once back in 9th grade. “Since we’re late anyway, why don’t we drop you kids off at school?” Out of the corner of his eye he could see Cory inspecting the carpet but he didn’t pay him too much mind.

“As great as that sounds Super Dad, Lucas is gonna be picking us up.” Maya said, popping the ‘p’ loudly all while trying to keep from smirking at the way Cory perked up at the mention of Lucas. “Don’t start crying again, I’m going to be there too.” She said in an attempt to reassure him, although she knew it wasn’t going to do him any good, she only did it to save Shawn from one long car ride.

Before Cory could freak out, a loud honk caught him off and had Riley running to give him a hug before grabbing Maya by the hand and yanking her towards the door. “Okay bye dad, I love you! See you at school!” She said musically as she shut the door behind her.

He knew Cory was about to run after them and quickly rushed over to put a stop to that thought, as much as he loved him, even he had to admit that he was a little too protective. “Cory, don’t freak out! They’re almost 18, you can trust them and you can especially trust Riley.” Shawn flashed him a warm smile as he put the cup down on the table before squeezing his shoulders tightly in support.

The taller man sighed in defeat and rested his hand on top of his, he looked ready to give in before a sudden gleam of realization sparkled in his deep brown eyes. “But I can’t trust Lucas! He’s not my son!”

“Cory!”

“Oh alright fine!” Cory pouted as he went to go and get their coats from the closet before either of them are late for work.

It’s been a few months since they moved to a new apartment thanks to Shawn’s three new popular books, at first he didn’t want to accept the money from his boyfriend and he especially didn’t want to seem as if he was just trying to mooch off of him but, Shawn wasn’t going to accept no for an answer and was going to get an apartment either with him or without him. Cory didn’t know what he did to deserve Shawn, they’ve been dating for two years now and he still felt as if they just started, god he loved him.

Cory was shaken out of his thoughts by arms wrapping around him, lips pressed against his ear. “What are you thinking about Cor?” Shawn smirked a bit, pressing their bodies close.

“How much I love you.”

Those words caused Shawn’s ears to redden visible as he snorted softly, quickly grabbing his coat from the taller male and grabbing the keys from the counter just so they could leave already. Cory couldn’t help but laugh as he followed him out the door, he could hear him mumbling things under his breath like-

“ _God you’re so cheesy.”_

and

“ _You’re gonna be the death of me.”_

It was adorable.

Cory gave him a quick peck on the cheek, the two of them getting into the car together, car pooling with your boyfriend was probably one of the best perks of dating, especially when you work at the same school together. “How nervous are you for your first day of class?” He asked with a smile as he watched Shawn’s hand automatically move to run through hair that was no longer there, a nervous habit that he had grown accustomed to all these years, he tried growing his hair back for a little while but one breakdown later and he ended up cutting it all off again which Cory didn’t mind, to him Shawn was handsome either way and only wanted him to be happy.

“Feels like my heart’s going give any second now… Are you sure I’m right for the job Cor? There’s gotta be a more suitable guy right?” Shawn said softly, wanting to take a turn into the gas station for some more coffee, but he knew they’d not only be late but that he was trying to delay the inevitable.

Cory shot him a look of pity before giving him the most Cory smile that anyone had ever seen, he massaged circles into the top of the other male’s hand before interlocking their fingers. “You’re the best damn photographer that New York has ever known, you’re going to be a great teacher babe.”

Those words did very little to steady his nerves but they did bring a small smile to his face, he really did have not only the best friend in the world, but also the best boyfriend. Cory truly was something special and he didn’t know what he would do without him… However lately there has been these nagging thoughts in his head, he still somehow felt responsible for Cory and Topanga’s divorce, they seemed like the perfect couple and then he came back into their lives and it was like that perfect image began crumbling before their very eyes. No matter how many times they insisted that it was a long time coming and how of course it wasn’t his fault, he’d always remember how upset Riley looked and the words she said that day when she blamed him for ruining her family’s lives. Of course she had long since apologized for her actions and he of course forgave her, he knew she didn’t mean it but it also didn’t mean that words didn’t sting… a lot.

It was six years ago but he still laid awake at night listening to the thoughts filling his head…

_What if she was right? What if they are better off without him?_

“If you don’t turn left you’re gonna miss the school Shawnie.”

Those words shook him free from his thoughts as he smiled nervously at him, quickly making a wide turn into the school’s parking lot. “Sorry babe, guess I’m still thinking about my first day.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, although it still made him feel guilty for not telling him the whole truth.

Cory kissed his hand before smiling at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat. “I’m in the classroom across from you, you can come talk to me any time.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Shawn was nervously pacing around the classroom, his hand fidgeting badly as it wanted to head towards his hair but he instead moved to erase and rewrite his name on the chalkboard for the 17th time. Before he could do it again, the bell rang loudly and caused his heart to jump into this throat, he leaned back on the desk as he watched the classroom fill up with what he assumed were seniors.

“Oh wow he’s hot.”  
  
“Shut up Kristie.”

He could feel his ears grow hot as he cleared his throat, this was going to be a long day. “My name is Mr. Hunter, friends call me Shawn but since we’re not friends, Mr. Hunter it is. So this class is an elective so what that mean is, this class may not be a requirment but it can help you make up for a lost credits if you’re falling behind on any of your main classes.” He explained, surprising himself with how smoothly he transitioned into teacher mode. “Any questions?”

“Yeah how long is this class?”

Shawn clasped his hands together as he responded. “45 minutes, same as any other class.” He could feel a small smile tugging at his lips, maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he thought. “Alright, I don’t really have any assignments planned for the day so how about we get to know one another?” He suggested and the class seemed to agree with it, whatever it took not to do legitimate work. “As long as you interact with the conversation at least once, you’ll get all your points. I’ll start, My name is Shawn Hunter and I’m a renowned author who recently published a new book, I’m also a photographer for several blogs and uh… now I’m your teacher.” He said, cringing internally at his unintentional self-promotion.

Almost instantly the class came to life, bringing up the things they liked to do, their parents jobs, places they’ve been and anything else they could think of. Although he had to help a few students speak up and guide them through the conversation, it went a lot smoother than he thought and by now his nerves were completely settled and he felt more at ease. “Okay, so I have these pamphlets with lists of free programs you can download on your computers-” He explained, scratching his beard. “Besides being able to take pictures, being able to manipulate and edit photos is a huge part of your grade.” He gave each person in the front rows a stack to pass back. “And that’s it for the class, just sit and talk among yourselves until the bell rings and if you got any questions about this class, just ask.”

Shawn moved to sit back at his desk, he realized he had been holding his breath and quickly sighed with relief, maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as he thought it would be. He took out his phone while the class was loud with conversation, he smiled slightly at the sight of his lock screen, it was of Riley and Maya with a passed out Cory in the background, they were laughing and without a doubt, teasing the man while he slept. Even if it didn’t work out with Katy, he still adored Maya and happily treated her as if she was his, he would do anything for those girls.

Speaking of those girls, they were both texting him in class in the group chat they made without Cory.

Oh how he loved Demon #1 and Demon #2

_Demon #1 (Maya): Hey Super Dad, can Riley and I go to the mall after class? K, thx!_

_Demon #2 (Riley): Pleeeeeeease? We’ve been good today!_

Shawn scoffed softly, trying to hide his smile with his hand, he knew they were up to something and were only asking him because they knew Cory would say no, he knew the game they were trying to play.

_Shawn: It hasn’t even been a full period yet! Also I’m not your dad, go ask him._

_Demon #2 (Riley): Oh come on!! Please let us go! I thought you loved us?_

_Demon #1 (Maya): Exactly! When do you follow the rules, Mr. Shawn Hunter? Don’t tell us that Cory has been rubbing off on you!_

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, these two really were something else huh? He bit his lip as he thought about it, it had been quite a long time since he and Cory had the house to themselves and besides, what kind of trouble would Riley ever get in? Her last bad girl stunt only ended with her getting a new shirt.

_Shawn: Ugh fine, just don’t tell your dad! I don’t want him railing my ass again because one of you couldn’t keep your mouth shut!_

_Demon #2 (Riley): Yay! You’re the best!_

_Demon #1 (Maya): Oh right! Because you’re the one who rails his-_

_Yup! Not gonna even finish reading that message!_

Soon the bell rang and all the kids began shuffling towards their next class, all he had to do was survive one last period and then he could go to lunch with Cory. The sound of someone tapping his desk made him look up, there stood a tall and rather skinny girl around the age of 17, she had long black hair and round eyes that constantly looked around the room in paranoia. “Can I help you?”  
  
“Yeah, I was wondering if we had to get our own cameras for this class?” Her voice was soft and barely audible, he had to strain just to hear her.

“Uhhh… no? Cameras should be provided for you if I remember right, but if you give me a moment I can go and check if you like.” When she nodded, Shawn opened his bag to go through some of the papers that were provided to him, it took a few minutes to find what he was looking for. “Okay so cheap cameras will be given out to children unable to afford any professional grade equipment, if you want I could put your name down on the list.”

“Yes please, thank you so much.” She quickly scribbled her name down on the paper before rushing out of the room before he had a chance to speak, something about her seemed a little bit off and even though he knew he should leave well enough alone, he decided he’d check in on her later.

The bell rang once more and in came the devils themselves, Maya and Riley both took seats in the front row, they had smirks full of sass and mischievousness plastered on their faces. “Hey Mr. Hunter.” They said in unison, trying their best not to start laughing.

_This was going to be a long day._

Shawn groaned softly as he turned to grab the pamphlets, he already knew a simple class was going to turn crazy real fast. “Here’s a list of free programs that you should download at home, if you already have one then great but it’s good to have options.”

“What if we don’t have a computer? Does that mean can just skip this class?” Asked Maya, pulling a drink from her bag.

“The school has a computer room, use that. This class may not seem like such a big deal, however if you’re failing another class, you can easily make up your credits here. You shouldn’t slack off just because you don’t think this class is an important part of your grade.”

That’s when Maya stood up, standing on top of her desk. “I don’t think we should have to take this class, I think we should have the right to-”

“Maya!”

She quickly plopped back down in her seat, giving an unapologetic smile. “I retract my earlier statement Mr. Teacher Sir.”

After having to stop Maya from starting a union strike over a simple photography class and Riley from joining in, Shawn was exhausted as he leaned forward in his seat, resting his face in his hands. The door opened but he didn’t look up, he had already decided he was going to die in his hands.

“You look like you could use some Chinese.”

_It was Cory_.

Shawn sat back up to see his knight in shining armor holding a bag and a Styrofoam holder with two coffees, he truly was a life saver. “God, you don’t know how glad I am to see you. Maya is going to be the death of me and let’s not even talk about how offended Riley got when I teased the idea of separating them. We’re in for a world of trouble now, Maya said she’s going to try and make our lives living hell.” He joked softly, grinning wide.

Cory’s heart fluttered from the sight of seeing Shawn’s genuine smile, the one that just engulfed his entire face, he was always self-conscious about his ‘muppet mouth’ as kids and would often try to hide it but it was one that he just loved to see. “Now you finally understand what I go through every day.” He laughed as he pulled a chair up, setting their food down on the desk. “Now tell me, did it go as bad as you thought it would?”

“Guess not, but it’s still something I need to get used to.” Shawn said, taking a sip of the coffee, it was almost cold but not undrinkable. “Thanks, I really needed this.” He hummed softly when he felt the other man press his lips against his own.

“What can I say? I live to serve.” Cory laughed as he inched closer to the other male, their legs now flushed together. “I knew you’d do great, you’re one amazing man Shawn Hunter.” He said, resting a hand on his knee for moment, then he moved to open the bag of food. “I got you your favorite oh and I also got you these bad boys!” He grinned widely as he pulled a package of Twizzlers from his suit jacket. “I’ve been holding onto them since this morning, been trying to figure out a good time to give them to you.”

Shawn scoffed playfully but took them anyway, putting them away in his desk. “You always know the perfect way into my heart.” He grew silent as he examined Cory’s face, he still looked the same after all the years, he had the same kindness and naivety in his eyes and that same dorky smile on his face and… Shawn sighed, feeling a smile of his own forming, he really did love him. He bit the skin off of his lower lip as he opened the container of food, picking at it with his fork as he once again was lost in his own thoughts. On his mind these past few hours had nothing to do with school, and instead had everything to do with the curly haired male eating General Tso beside him. They’ve been dating for four years now, almost five and he was wondering if it was time to start thinking about moving forward with their relationship, he loved both Cory and the kids and he did want to spend the rest of his life with them yet, he was also trying to decide if it was the right move, surely they would be better off if Cory got back with Topanga? They were always meant to be together, they were _the_ couple and them being apart just throws the whole world off balance… perhaps what he and Cory have isn’t permanent, and is just an obstacle for the two to figure out how to get past, maybe all of this was just wishful thinking and he was letting himself get his hopes up again.

“Shawnie, are you alright?” Cory shook him from his thoughts once more, his expression was one of worry. “You’re doing that thing where you don’t eat and stare off into space.” He laid his hand on top of his gently, squeezing it in reassurance. He had always had that sixth sense when it came to Shawn, he knew every cue to look for when he was upset, the way he would look at your nose so he wouldn’t have to look you in the eye but could still pretend that he was. Of course the easiest way was to wait for him to push his hair out of his face, a habit he had since learned to quit but, you can still watch for his hand to twitch with the need to run through his hair.

He pursed his lips as he stared down at his food, he didn’t react to the comforting motion and instead moved to force himself to take a bite of food, his face scrunched up in slight disgust, it was like eating sandpaper. He cleared his throat and took a sip of coffee, it was cold by now. “It’s nothing, I’m fine Cor.” He lied softly, he saw Cory’s eyebrows furrow from the corner of his eye and this time he was the one to squeeze the other’s hand. “I promise.”

“Shawnie, if you don’t want to talk about it then just say so. I don’t want you to lie and pretend to be fine when you clearly aren’t.” Cory examined his face, waiting for an answer but when he didn’t get one, he sighed softly and stood up to pack his lunch as he gave him one last glance. “I’ll see you after school, alright? Maybe you’ll have something to say then.” He didn’t quite understand why Shawn was starting to shut him out, they were supposed to be best friends who could tell each other anything.

Shawn quickly stood up, reaching out to grab his arm. “Cory, wait I-” The bell signifying the end of lunch rang loudly within the school and Shawn pulled back, exhaling deeply as he watched him disappear into the sea of kids to get back to his own class room. He slammed his fist down on the desk hard as he collapsed back into the chair, his hands shaking as he once again covered his face with his hands.

Why wasn’t he ever allowed to have anything nice?

Why did he always have to sabotage every chance of happiness he got?

He let out a shaky breath as the class room started filling up with his next class, he no longer knew if he could actually do this anymore or not, his mind was all over the place and he was struggling to stay focused. Shawn finally looked up at the class, running his hand through his hair before finally getting to his feet and passing out the paper. “No work today, just… just do whatever, I don’t care.” He murmured, going back to his seat and opening up the Twizzlers in his desk, his thoughts drifting back to Cory.

_He had to fix this_

Cory decided to stay a little later to grade his students’ essays, yeah he could’ve done these at home but he knew he needed some more space first. He stared blankly at Maya’s paper, it had nothing to do with the project and all to do with: “ _Why Mr. Matthews Should Let Me Date His Daughter: The Sequel!_ ” He shook his head, smiling a bit as he read over it, he decided if it was written in proper form then maybe she’ll get at least _some_ points.

“Hey Cor, you ready to go?”

He didn’t look up from the paper and instead moved to grade it as a B-, despite her attempt to goof off, she really was a talented writer. “Give me a moment, I have to finish one last essay. Is Riley waiting out there with you, or did she go to the car?”

Shawn cringed, his tone was cold and distant, he really did screw this one up. “Um about that, they asked me if they could go to the mall and I said yes.” He admitted nervously, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“You backstabbing-” Cory had launched himself over his desk, sitting on his knees as he was now face to face with the other man, he watched as Shawn’s face change from uncertainty to trying not to laugh. “I thought you were on my side!” He gasped, slamming his hands down on his desk hard, causing his boyfriend to finally break down and start giggling. Cory looked all shades of offended as he rested his hand on his chest. “And you think this is a joke!? Who is she with? Is it that Lucas!? Cause I swear-” He was interrupted by Shawn gripping him up by his shoulder, he tried to look angrily into his face, but staring into those blue eyes caused him to melt on impact.

“Cor, she’ll be fine! She’s with Maya and we both know that she’ll never let anything happen to Riley, she even tried killing me when she thought I was a dead beat. Besides, you told me this morning that you will start trust them more.” He waited for Cory’s expression to soften before smiling seductively in his direction, moving to pull him up and close until their bodies were pressed firmly together. “We now have the whole house to ourselves, and you can do whatever you want to do to me.” His voice dropped a few decibels, resulting in a sexy growl that caused a shiver to go up the taller man’s spine.

There was hesitation in Cory’s movements but in the end, he sat down and handed Shawn Maya’s essay. “Let me just finish grading Riley’s and we can go home.” He said, trying to hide his smile as he watched his shoulders slump down, he’ll make it up to him afterwards.

“She makes several good points here man, I think you should think about her offer.” Said Shawn with a crooked grin as he flipped through it, before placing it back down on his desk. He wasn’t surprised in the slightest, it was rather obvious that the blonde was deeply in love with her best friend, however he was surprised she wrote a multiple paged essay about it, and that it was good. “Should’ve gave her at least an A.”

Cory rolled his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned back in his seat, he didn’t realize how stiff he had gotten today, it was absolute hell. Soon he felt Shawn move behind him and those damn hands of his started massaging his shoulders, god he needed this. He hummed softly as he melted into his seat, forgetting all about the papers that still needed grading. Cory felt a shiver go through him as Shawn leaned down to press a kiss against his ear, muttering sweet nothings to him before moving downward to kiss along his jawline, he turned his face towards him and kissed him softly, the feeling of Shawn’s beard scratching against his face caused him to giggle softly as he kissed him back. “Let’s get outta here.”

Shawn grinned wide, eagerly grabbing him by his arm and dragging him out of the room, the two of them laughing loudly as they rushed to the car, any negative thoughts were now gone and all they could think about was each other. He couldn’t help but to keep glancing over at Cory, he meant so much to him.

Both men were whispering and shoving one another in a fit of giggles, Shawn grew more serious as he pushed Cory into the door, hands resting on either side of his head as he kissed him deeply. He smiled against his lips as he felt his arms wrap around his neck, his slipping down to hold his waist. “I love you.” He groaned out, hands fumbling with the keys as Cory began kissing his neck, his own hands moving downwards to unbutton his shirt and planting kisses down the newly exposed skin. Shawn’s breath hitched sharply as Cory bit into his neck, not hard enough to leave a mark, but it was enough to cause a jolt of pleasure to shoot straight to his groin and it was getting difficult to keep from just doing it right here, right now. He shifted uncomfortably in his spot, watching as Cory went in ahead of him. “Cor, I’m just saying that I just think I deserve a reward for surviving my first day of class.” He joked as he began undoing his belt, his entire face and _other_ area were burning with excitement at the thought of what was to come next. “So if you wanna suck my di-”

“Oh god, no! Shawn stop, please stop!” Cory’s panicked voice screeched out, causing the other man to jerk in surprise and confusion.

“What? What’s wro- Oh Jesus fuck! Maya?” Shawn nearly throw up from the sight of demon one and two sitting on the couch, hands folded and a smug look across both of their faces.

“Good evening, you’re both home late.” The blonde’s grin grew wider, there was an evil glint in her eyes even as she tried to sit there innocently.

He glanced over at Cory, who looked just as embarrassed as he was feeling, this couldn’t be actually happening right now. “I thought- I thought you two were supposed to be at the mall? What happened?” He tried to ask calmly, clearing his throat quickly when his voice came out squeaky and hoarse.

Riley kept eye contract as Shawn slipped behind Cory, trying to inconspicuously fix his pants. It was a struggle for her not to start laughing, oh how she loved torturing these two with Maya by her side. “Oh we were, but we thought it would be more fun to hang out with the two of you! We haven’t had quality family bonding time in a long while, ya know?”

Maya smirked as she batted her eyelashes. “I sure hope that’s not a problem for either of you.”

That’s when it clicked, they were only doing this as petty revenge for when he tried to separate them! These girls really were something else entirely, they looked so proud of themselves as they flashed them a huge smile. Shawn leaned in, resting his hands on his knees as he shot them both looks. “I know what you little demons are getting at, and I won’t play this game with you!” He hissed softly, feeling both irritated yet also impressed.

Riley cocked her head in mock confusion, furrowing her eyebrows. “What ever do you mean Shawn? We’re just asking for some family time.” She pouted, looking up at him with her big brown eyes.

Shawn looked back at Cory who was sitting on the chair with his face in his hands, wishing he would’ve just died on the way here. He sighed in defeat as he ran his hand through his hair, trying to think of something to appease the females, this was going to be hell. Riley and Maya shared a look, their posture and smiles expressing victory loudly as Shawn spoke up. “So, what do you ladies want to do?” Immediately he began to regret all his life choices that got him into this situation in the first place, a chill went up his spine of the girls tapped their fingers together in thought.

“ _Well let’s see…”_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shawn takes the kids out to appease the demons among other things as thoughts of the future keeps on buzzing in his brain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to say thank you so much for the love on this story, it means a lot to me and I have just been adoring this fandom. 
> 
> Also just a little content warning for some sexual content later on

Shawn didn’t really know what was expecting, but this definitely wasn’t it. He sighed softly as he walked with the kids throughout the mall, buying whatever their little hearts desired. Cory had stayed behind at the request of the two girls, which he didn’t mind that much as he still had to deal with tomorrow’s agenda, but it still stressed him out knowing they were spending even more time apart. Shawn felt Auggie’s grip on his hand tighten, he glanced down at him with a gentle smile earning one in return. “You okay there little buddy?” He asked, he could’ve sworn he could hear the boy’s brain turning inside of his head as he tried to figure out how to word his thoughts.

“It’s just… I just don’t want you to leave.” Auggie whispered, staring down at the ground before staring up at him. “I really like having you around.”

It completely caught him off guard as he struggled to rack his brain for a response, his head began to feel heavy and he tapped his fingers against his thigh in a familiar rhythmic motion. After what seemed like years, Shawn finally spoke up. “Why would you say that? Did I give off a vibe like I was gonna leave?” He asked the last part mostly to himself, sure that thought sometimes drifted into his head but thoughts of the kids always brought him back. His gaze locked on the boy’s nose to avoid looking him in the eyes, his throat felt dry as he waited for an answer.

“Mom said she loved us and that she’ll always be here with us… then she left.” Said Auggie, his voice cracking just slightly ass his thumb rubbed against the back of Shawn’s hand to comfort himself

_Oh._

Shawn could feel the uncomfortable scratching of his jeans against the back of his legswhich was all he could focus on as he tried thinking of the right thing to say, he never really that great with words that had to be spoken. Topanga was no longer with them yes, and she was seeing someone else but that didn’t stop her from coming over as much as she could and taking the kids out. She really was a great mom.When he finally broke down in tears, Shawn stopped walking and knelt in front of the 11 year old, holding his shoulders in a reassuring manner. “Auggie listen to me, I’m not going to leave you. You, your sister and your dad mean everything to me and you know that, right?” He waited for him to nod before continuing. “I will never do anything to intentionally hurt any of you and I promise you that, and if I ever do I want you to be the person who keeps me in check and kicks my ass, alright? Will you do that for me?” He smiled when Auggie giggled weakly, he quickly moved to wipe away his tears. He stood up straight and held his hand back out for him to hold. “How about we go find the girls and get something to eat? I’ll make it up to you with some ice cream, does that sound good?”

“Chocolate crunch with sprinkles!?” Auggie’s eyes were as wide as his grin as he gripped his hand tightly, dragging a laughing Shawn through the mall behind him as he ran to find Riley and Maya, completely forgetting about his emotionally meltdown. “You’re my favorite dad!” He giggled, not catching the expression that crossed Shawn’s face for a millisecond.

_Dad huh?_

Riley was walking around Forever 21 with Maya, the two of them throwing whatever article of clothing caught their eye. “I’ve been needing a new wardrobe lately, all my pants are starting to stop above my calves.” She said as she stuck out her tongue in faux disgust, grabbing a cute pair of cat eye sunglasses. “How do I look peaches?” Riley asked, slipping them down the bridge of her nose and shooting a wink her way,

Maya shook her head and grabbed an oversize sunhat, plopping it down on her head. “Like a million dollars babe, now do I look ready for a hot beach party or what?” She laughed and tossed it back in the bin. “Don’t answer that, instead how about this one?” She pulled out a bright red fedora, wiggling her eyebrows in mock seduction as she tipped the hat in her direction.

Riley hand shot up to cover her mouth as she laugh snorted in a way that made the blonde’s heart rate to increase, she was a dork but she was her dork. “You gotta get it! We only live once and Shawn made the mistake of giving us his credit card!” She wrapped her arm around her as they made their way to the register, she stopped in her tracks when she spotted a pretty purple necklace. “Oh wow, it’s stunning.” She whispered, pressing her face against the glass.

“Then I’ll buy it for you, with my own money.” Maya’s voice was soft as her cheeks turned a light pink, she asked the cashier to take it from the case. “My Riles is worth the $60.” She could see Riley about to fight her on using her own allowance, but she wasn’t going to let her as she quickly slammed down the wad of money on the counter. “Just remember who loves you more and I’ll give you a hint, it’s me suga-a-a-a!”

The girls walked out of the store with several bags just in time to see Auggie yanking Shawn in their direction and they waved to them, Maya and Riley held back their laughter as he stared down at the bags in their hands. “Thanks for letting us use your card Super dad.” Maya grinned playfully, handing him the receipt.

Shawn’s mouth opened and closed several times as he tried making sense of the numbers in front of his face. “Jesus fu-” Auggie tapped his arm quickly and he held his tongue. “I’m glad you kiddos had fun… Anyway let’s head to the food court, I promised Cory I’d feed you demons.” He teased, ruffling Riley’s hair to a squawk of protest. “I should make you pay for it after that god awful receipt you just showed me.” He laughed at the expression on the girls’ faces. “But I’m in a good mood so you’re lucky.”

“I mean, you _are_ the one who gave us your credit card, you should’ve known what two teenage girls would’ve done!” Riley pointed out, fixing her hair as they walked towards the food court.

Auggie stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at a window in wonder. “I want a mohawk!” He shouted to Shawn’s dismay, he yanked the older man towards to the hair dresser. “I wanna look awesome!” He was jumping up and down in his spot with pure excitement.

“Are you serious? I’m not your dad , I don’t have that kind of authority! Also speaking of him, he would _absolutely_ kill me if you came home with like half your head shaved!” Shawn ran his hand through his hair, shuddering at the thought of Cory’s massive meltdown.

“But you will be one day! And what kind of dad will you be if you don’t let me express myself!” Auggie said, placing his hands on his hips in an attempt to look serious.

The sound of _that_ word again caused his ears to grow hot as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck, it’s been like this for a while now with the little boy constantly referring to him as his dad and he didn’t quite know how to feel about it, while it did make him feel guilty like he was just… replacing Topanga? However in the far back of his mind, a part that he was ashamed of, there also laid happiness over hearing that word. This life, having a family and especially with Cory just… it made him feel something he never really felt before. Stability. “You know what? You’re right! Maya you take Riley and order some food, we’ll be right back.” He grinned wide at the sound of Auggie’s laughter as he grabbed his hand to rush in with him into the building.

The girls shook their heads as they walked up to one of the food stands, Mexican food sounded bomb right now. “Dad’s definitely going to kill him when he see’s what he’s done to Auggie’s hair.” Riley giggled, typing their orders onto the screen. “I think I’m going to miss having Shawn around.”  
  
Maya laughed sharply as she swiped the card, placing her hand on her hip. “Do you really think your dad is capable of doing anything to Super Dad? He’ll probably chicken out the moment Shawn opened his mouth, he’s weak-willed.” They walked together to the table, their fingers interlocking together. Both teens blushed softly as they looked at one another, they shared a nervous smile before sitting down at the table, their hands never separating. “Riles I-”

“Do you want to go on a date?” Riley blurted out, shocking the both of them as she quickly slapped her hand against her mouth, she felt her face and ears growing hot with embarrassed. “I’m sorry! I-I don’t- I don’t know why I said that, it’s fine if you don’t-”

“No, no! I would… I do want to go on a date with you, I’ve always wanted to be with you.” Maya admitted softly, her eyes going everywhere besides the other girl’s face. She had ended up pulling her hand away and was now playing with a strand of her hair, her throat felt dry and her heart was racing in her chest. “I meant what I said when I told you I loved you Riley…”

There was a moment of silent before Riley practically leaped over the table, smashing their mouths together awkwardly as she held her by the collar of her shirt. She moved to pull away and apologize but Maya pulled her back into another kiss, the feeling of Riley’s soft lips against her own suddenly made her overaware of how chapped her own felt but since the brunette didn’t immediately pull away, maybe she liked kissing sandpaper. Neither of them remembered who finally pulled away first or how long it was until they did, however what they did know is that neither of were breathing at the moment as they stared at each other’s flushed faces.

Before either one of could speak up, they were knocked over by Auggie who was now rocking half a shaved head. His grin was was wide as his eyes as he showed off his hair to the pair. “Daddy Shawn wouldn’t let me get a mohawk but he let them do this!” He was bouncing in his seat in pure joy, like he had just won the child lottery.

“Oh wow! Your dad is so gonna freak when he see’s that, I definitely want to see that reaction!” Maya grinned, checking out the shooting star that was also shaved into the side. “You were right Riles, he’s totally going to kill Shawn!” She said, both girls laughing loudly.

“Speaking of dead meat, where did he go?” Asked Riley, getting up when their order was called. “Is he still in the hair place?” She handed them both a bag, looking over her shoulder to see if she could spot him.

Auggie was digging through the bag when they headed back to the table, trying to figure out which meal was his. “Oh he went to… Zailes?… Zeeyal?… Zales! He said he just wanted to browse.” He said disinterestedly, eyes sparkling with excitement as he pulled out a nacho bowl.

The girls had to bite back their squeals as they shared a look that only two feral children could achieve, they quickly played a game of ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors.’ to determine who would go creep on him, Riley won. “Stay with Auggie, I’mma be right back!” The brunette finally let out her squeals as she ran towards the jewelers.

Shawn was resting against the glass case as he stared down at the rings below, they were all stunning and more on the ungodly expensive side, how did people know which one was, well the _one_? It had to be perfect, the man he loved deserved nothing less and of course, there was a more petty side deep inside of him that just wanted to get a nicer ring than what Cory got Topanga. He crouched down to get a better look at a thick silver banded ring, it was adorned with five nicely sized square diamonds and with a price like- Shawn practically gagged at the nearly $14,000 price tag, he was a pretty petty bitch he wouldn’t lie about that, but maybe not for _that_ price. Another silver ring caught his attention, it was more simpler with a double band of small blue diamonds wrapping around the entire band and the price being at $2,550, kept his heart from exploding.

“Hey-y-y-y Shawnie!~ What are you up to?”

_Well at least it didn’t explode._

His heart leaped into his throat as he jumped up, whipping around to see Riley standing there innocently, her brown eyes full of an unreadable emotion yet her smile was radiating immense delight. He quickly cleared his throat, trying to avoid her stares. “Nothing, just browsing. Now what’s up kiddo?” Asked Shawn, pushing his hands into his jean pockets, he knew his face was reddening and just hoped it wasn’t too noticeable.

  
  


“Oh nothing much, just wanted to tell you that the food is here.” She could feel her own heart beating fast as they walked out together, was he actually going to end up being her dad? They had all grown close through out the years and she was glad he was in her life, he made her happy and he definitely made her dad happy again and that was all she really wanted, to have her family whole again. Riley looked up at him, examining his face as she reached out to hold his hand, squeezing it gently in silent support. “I’m glad you’re gonna be my dad.” Riley said more to herself, but he still caught it and his grip on her hand tightened.

  
  


Shawn’s heart was thumping in his ears as they joined Maya and Auggie, he could hear their conversation but he couldn’t focus on anything other than his hand tapping on the side of the chair. He felt as if he was absolutely melting, his throat dry as he took a sip of his drink to try and cool off, his fingers were working overtime as they tapped faster in a now arrhythmic pattern that did nothing to put extra stress on his already fried nerves. Riley and Auggie seemed to looked so happy as they ate their food, it made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t deserve this, he didn’t deserve Cory or the kids, where did he get off thinking he could ever have a life like this? Still, these thoughts themselves brought a new kind of pain, what exactly was he doing wrong that he wasn’t allowed to be happy? No matter what he did or how much he tried to tuck his feelings deep inside, he was never going to be free… was he?

  
  


  
  


_He had to get out of here._

  
  


  
  


“Hey, are you alright!?”

  
  


The sound of Maya’s worried tone knocked him out of his trance, he looked down to realize he had gotten up from his seat, his chair and drink on the ground. He could feel people staring at him and it was causing his skin to crawl, he didn’t look at any of the worried children as he picked up the chair. “Yeah, I’m-I’m… Let’s just- Let’s just go home. You want me to drop you off at home?” Shawn asked, still trying to avoid their gazes.

  
  


Maya wanted to say something but she couldn’t find her voice or even the right words to say that wouldn’t cause him to shut down, so instead she just nodded slightly. “Yeah, take me home… Oh we’ll probably stop bothering you now, I think you suffered enough.” The blonde teased, even though the last bit no longer seemed like a joke.

  
  


Shawn didn’t respond, he felt both of his hands being taken in by smaller ones as they lead him towards the exit. The air was thick with questions that everyone was afraid to ask, the words never quite forming so instead the walk to the car was silent. He helped the girls pack their bags up into the trunk, there was enough of them to build the entire wall of China a second time. “Sorry about your ice cream, we’ll get it next time.” Said Shawn when they were finally on the road, he glanced back at the whispering children and immediately felt the same tightness in his chest as before but he tried pushing it down.

  
  


“It’s okay dad, I’ll be fine cause I got this cool haircut!” Auggie said cheerfully, rocking his head back and forth. “It’s better than ice cream, but only by a little!” That made him feel a little better as he laughed, causing all three of their faces to light up but he didn’t catch it.

  
  


_God he needed a drink._

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


The house was still by the time they got home, which was understandable since it was almost 10pm so Cory was already in bed by now. Shawn was beyond emotionally and physically exhausted as he let out a sigh and placed his coat down on the couch, saying good night to the kids before making his way to his bedroom, god he really needed to lay down. He quietly entered the room, even though Cory was a pretty heavy sleeper he still didn’t want to accidentally wake him. Shawn threw his clothes to the side, slipping into the bed and turn his back to the other person sleeping in the bed, even though he tried to fall asleep, it didn’t take long for arms to wrap around his midsection and someone’s face to be buried into his neck. “Did I wake you?” He whispered, rubbing circles on the back of one of the hands gently.

  
  


“Nah, I just couldn’t sleep that great without you here.” Cory said, a cheesy grin on his face. Shawn scoffed “How did you and the kids get along?” He mumbled softly, inhaling his boyfriend’s musky sent, damn he missed him. “They didn’t get into too much trouble, did they?”

  
  


“As much trouble as Maya could get into without causing at least _three_ causalities.” Shawn smiled, turning over so he could face Cory, gentle brown eyes staring lovingly into his own. He had barely even changed after all these years, he just seemed more exhausted, he was still the same lovable dork he always was. “No one died luckily, but they could have.” His grin engulfed his entire face and Cory’s eyes softened even more.

  
  


“Oh jeez, don’t say that. I can actually imagine seeing us having to go to Maya’s court hearing.” Cory shuddered, not knowing if it was from that thought or from the way Shawn’s hand slipped underneath his shirt to rub his chest as his other hand made it’s way towards his waist to bring him in closer, their bodies now pressed flushed. He smiled at him, his expression full of affection and a certain softness that caused a flash of warmth to grow in Shawn’s chest. “I love you Shawnie.” He whispered before pressing their lips together, a kiss full of innocence and admiration for the being in front of him.

  
  


Of course a kiss like that couldn’t last long when you were kissing _the_ Shawn Hunter. Shawn deepened the kiss, pressing down firmly as his tongue traced along the other man’s lower lip before biting down, earning a sharp moan and the arch of his back. “I love you too.” He muttered, feeling Cory’s hand sliding down his back to grab his ass. “So fucking much.” Shawn kissed along his jawline, moving down to plant his lips against his throat. He nibbled and marked the soft skin, wanting the other male to know who exactly he belonged to, even if it was for a little while. The feeling of Cory’s throat vibrating as he moaned caused a pleasant feeling in his lips, he started to unbutton his shirt, quickly moving to kiss any and all newly revealed skin, earning even more moans in the process. “God you’re so hot.” He groaned out, feeling Cory’s fingers run through his hair and causing his scalp to tingle in an ungodly manner that shot straight to his groin, he could hear him mumbling too himself about how he wished he still had his long hair. “I’ll grow it back out.” Shawn hissed out, his pants uncomfortably tight as he kissed him again.

  
  


Cory barely had a chance to breathe between each kiss that seemed to get longer and longer with eachone, his entire body felt like it was on fire and it was getting much more difficult to keep this on the line of PG-13 with the way Shawn’s hard-on was pressing against his thigh as he sucked on his collarbone. He finally got his own ass in gear as he palm the other man through his boxer earning a deep groan, he could feel how hot he felt through the thin fabric and wasted no more time in slipping his hand past the band to wrap around his cock and begin to stroke, feeling Shawn buck into his hand with a sharp gasp. “I think I still owe you that rewardfor your successful first day.” Cory whispered, nibbling on his earlobe as his thumb circled around the tip of his member.

  
  


“Fuck, fuck, please do.” Shawn croaked out, trying to keep himself under some sort of control and not just hump the hell out of the other male’s hand. His breath caught in his throat when Cory’s teeth grazed his collarbone, god all this teasing was causing him to become more frustrated. “Cory, Please-”

  
  


“Okay, okay, relax babe.” Cory mumbled against the soft skin of his stomach, feeling how he tensed up as he got closer to his destination, it was kinda cute in a way. He could’ve sworn he heard Shawn swallow with anticipation as his hand rubbed his thigh, the curly-haired man quickly swirled spit around his mouth to prepare as he pulled down his boxers, hooking the band underneath his balls and was finally face to face with his boyfriend’s erection. He wasted no time in leaning forward, tongue tracing along a bulging vein and Shawn let out a shaky moan in response, his hand moving to rest in his hair, his fingers getting tangled in thick curls. He smiled slightly and licked along the entire length, swirling his tongue around the sensitive head before pushing it into his mouth, the heat and moistness cause Shawn’s hips to buck forward to the surprise of the other. Shawn smiled nervously when Cory pulled back coughing, his hand rubbing his cheek apologetically. “You don’t even give me a chance!” He laughed softly, loving the way his face flushed further. He slipped his cock back into his mouth, letting his tongue rub along the underneath as he began to move, his hand stroked down towards the base.

  
  


The back of his hand pressed against his mouth to keep himself from making any too loud noises, Shawn’s breathing was ragged as he watched the hollowing of his cheeks with each harsh suck, just the sight alone was almost too much for him, especially when gorgeous brown eyes looked up at him full of admiration, love and, lust. He shifted in his spot to get more comfortable, kicking off his shorts completely as Cory gripped his left asscheek tightly, leaning forward and letting the member glide down before pulling back and stopping to give the sensitive head some attention to which Shawn had to bit his lip to keep from waking anyone up. “Oh god- fuck, fuck, fuck…” He gasped out, hands running through his own hair. Maybe it was from the fact he was pent up from lack of sex or maybe it was because it was just Cory here with him, but what he did know was that he already felt so close.

  
  


The sounds of his labored breathing and concealed whimpers just animated him more, Cory let his cock hit the back of his throat as the hand on his ass slid a finger between the crevice, finding and circling around his hole causing Shawn to jump in a way that motivated him to keep going. He heard his breath catch in his throat as he traced and prodded at his entire before pushing his digit inside easily.

  
  


This was starting to get too much for Shawn as he sobbed in muffled pleasure, hips rocking towards at unsteady yet calmish pace as he tried to help get himself off quicker. Of course that didn’t take long because the moment Cory stroked his prostate in that ungodly way that brought burst of pleasurable heat into his stomach, it was game over and Shawn’s hands shot up to grip his hair loosely, chanting out his name repeatedly as his hips shot forward and his mouth was immediately filled but Cory didn’t seem to mind too much albeit a bit off guard, as he pulled back to spit into a tissue from their nightstand. Shawn wanted to say something, but his mind was too foggy to come up with coherent sentences so instead he watched as Cory jumped out of bed to rush to the bathroom, probably to wash out his mouth. He let out a sigh as he shifted to be laying on his back, arms behind his head as he glanced up at the ceiling. “Cory, I- fuck…”

  
  


“You what now?” Cory laughed, gargling some mouthwash loudly and spitting it out in the sink. “Don’t worry Shawnie, I know.” He placed the cap back on the bottle and placed it back into the cabinet.

  
  


“You’re such an idiot.” Shawn said, rolling his eyes as he forced back his grine . He could see the dopey smile on his face when he walked back into the room, he loved seeing that face and seeing him happy. Cory slid back into bed and gave him a kiss, he laid his head on his chest and nuzzled into his neck. Shawn rubbed his back underneath his shirt as they laid there in pre-sex bliss and just enjoyed one another. “It’s Saturday tomorrow and we have the day off, how about a date night? Just me, you and a candle lit dinner. How does that sound babe?” He asked softly, hand moving up to lightly scratch at his shoulder.

  
  


Cory yawned as he nodded, he didn’t know when the last time they went out unaccompanied and the idea of seeing a dressed up Shawn Hunter under the dim lighting made his chest feel fluttery, he would love that. “Only if I can take some rolls.” Said Cory, earning a laugh.

“Of course, they want you to take the rolls.” Now they were both trying not to laugh too loudly and wake up the kids, Shawn felt so incredibly happy as he watched Cory’s hand shoot up to cover his mouth as he kept on giggling, it was so cute. He deserved this and he wasn’t going to let him or the kids go, this is were he belonged.

  
  


“ _I love you.”_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shawn's having a rough day, anything that can go wrong is going wrong and everyone else is being dragged along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, it was hard to keep focused on anything so here's a long chapter to make up for it.
> 
> It's rather on the silly side with some seriousness thrown in here and there but this chapter was mostly written to be light-hearted.

A hand reached to touch the spot where another person used to be, it was still warm so he knew he must’ve left not that long ago. Shawn yawned as he turned over to lay on his side and check the clock, it was only 7am so he decided to pull the comforter back over his head and try to fall back to sleep. He was so close to falling asleep and then-

“Shawn Patrick Hunter! Get out here now!”

_uh oh._

He had no real choice but to roll out of bed, searching for his pants while still half-dazed. He ended up having to throw on a pair of Cory’s and quickly run towards the door, only to trip on the leg of the pants and hitting the ground hard, why did Cory have to be all legs? “Fuck!” He wheezed out, the air had been completely shot from his lungs.

“Shawn!”

“I’m coming!”

Riley had just finished up her shower and was ready to head downstairs when she heard a loud thud, did… did Shawn just run into the door?

“Son of a- Why is this my life!?”

_Yup, he sure did!_

“Shawn Hunter! I swear to-”

“Jesus Christ! I’m coming!”

The brunette was trying her best not to start laughing as he exited the bedroom holding his nose, he didn’t look too amused by her expression “Don’t you dare say a word about that.”

“Those aren’t your pants.” Riley pointed out instead, the corners of her mouth twitching, threatening to break out into a smile.

“Shut up.” Shawn huffed out, trying not to smile as they walked into the living room where Cory was, he was holding Auggie with on hand on his hip and he did not look too pleased. “Listen, it’s just a haircut! He asked for one and what was I supposed to do, tell him no?” Shawn said, putting his hands up in defense, trying to ignore the throbbing of his nose.

“Of course you say no! You don’t just let him get half his head shaved and a huge star carved in! That’s not just a haircut!” Cory was once again overreacting as he waved his son around, who just looked proud of his new look. “You could’ve at least asked me first!” He put Auggie down, letting him run off to stand by the other man’s side

Shawn scoffed as he crossed his arms, once again it was getting hard not to start smiling from how eccentric this family really seemed to be. “What kind of dad would I be then if I said no?” The way Cory’s eyes lit up caused a warm feeling to spread across his chest as well as a pit in the bottom of his stomach but he just ignored them both and quickly cleared his throat to change the subject. “Okay, you’re right! I should’ve-”

“Hey, wait- are those my pants?” He asked suddenly, catching him off guard. “First you cut my son’s hair, now you steal my pants? When will this deviance end Shawn?” Cory demanded, a huge grin covering his face as he placed his hands on his hips.

He had nothing to say as he just stared at him in disbelief, he knew Riley and Auggie were both grinning at him like a mini mirror of their father. There was silence for a moment before Shawn broke and began to laugh in a way that caused Cory’s lungs to feel heavy, seeing how happy he was, meant the world to him. “Yeah, yeah just arrest me already.” He scoffed, wiping his hands on his pants as he headed towards the kitchen to make some breakfast, completely forgetting about the slight bumps in the road of his morning, things could only get better here.

_Things did indeed, not get better_

The fire alarm blared loudly as the kids coughed loudly from the smoke filling the room, Shawn threw the flaming pan into the kitchen sink, turning on the faucet as Cory fanned the alarm until it died down. “Shit! This is just not my day!” Shawn groaned out, stepping back to admire his handiwork of burnt what was supposed to be blueberry pancakes.

“Breakfast is overrated anyway! What’s better than starving to start the day anyway?” Cory teased gently, kissing his cheek in a reassuring manner when he began to pout. “I’m serious, don’t worry about it. We can just stop and get breakfast on our way to drop off Auggie at Ava’s house.” He explained, no longer looking in Shawn’s direction as he helped pick out an outfit for his son, missing the longing smile shot his way. “Hurry and get dressed, in your own clothes this time.” He teased once more, walking over to give him another kiss as his hand moved down to play with the band of his pants, causing Shawn to chuckle in the back of his throat.

“Oh I’m sure you don’t want to start this right here, right now.” He grinned, kissing and nibbling at the crock of his neck, the moan that left the taller man went straight down and he was starting to feel some things he shouldn’t so early in morning.

“You wanna make that a bet, Hunter?” Cory said in a tone. with a name that was only used when Shawn was in trouble or when Cory was incredibly horny. Sadly or maybe luckily for the kids, that was quickly forgotten to Shawn’s disappoint (maybe this really was his unlucky day) as Maya charged on in without an invitation and made herself right at home, as she went to raid the kitchen. “Gee Ms. Hart, have you ever heard of ya know? Knocking?” Asked the curly haired man, resting his hands on his hips as Shawn sneaked away to get changed.

“Nope! Don’t need to.” She said, closing the fridge in annoyance from the lack of food. “Yo Matthews, have you ever heard of shopping?” Maya shot back as she tore through one of the pantries, only to be met with more disappointment.

“Maybe you and Riley can-”

“Are you _**fucking**_ kidding me!?” Shawn practically shouted as he stormed out of their room, phone in hand as he went to call back whoever just apparently ruined his day further.

“Jeez, what has you by the balls Super Dad?” Maya smirked, grabbing a can of soda from on top of the fridge. Shawn shot her a look.

“Knock it off Maya, Shawn what’s wrong?” Cory asked worryingly as he held onto his arm in comfort, his face laced with concern.

“Apparently the restaurant I put in a reservation in for last night, decided to screw me over and give it to someone else.” Shawn explained, rolling his eyes as a male voice answered the phone, he didn’t sound too happy to be getting this call. “Yeah hello, you just hung up on me like a few moments ago and I wan-

“Sir, I’m sorry but there are more important customers that needed to be seated. So it would be better for if you just-”  
  
“Yeah no, I think it would be _better_ for you if you just gave us our god damn table or I swear to whoever is looking after you, I will come down there and jam _my_ foot up your fucki-”

_Okay yeah no, enough of that-_

Cory snatched the phone out of his hand, giving the man a quick apology before hanging up and handing the phone back to the still fuming Shawn, he could hear Maya laughing behind him. “Shawn enough! Threatening people isn’t how you get your table back! We have all day, you can find another restaurant for tonight! We don’t even have to do dinner, we can go and get breakfast or lunch somewhere, it’s fine!” He tried to reassure him, taking his hands in his and kissing his knuckles in a relaxing way. “As long as we’re together, I don’t mind where we go.”

Shawn sighed in defeat, looking down at their now intertwined hands, Cory’s hands still larger than his own.

‘Big hands huh…’

“So then you wouldn’t mind if I take you out to Taco Bell?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as he tried to keep a straight face as Cory’s nose scrunched up in disgust, apparently anywhere wasn’t actually a thing.

“Okay maybe I do mind to an extent.” He admitted, laughing nervously. “Anywhere but fast food then, I’m trying to keep you on some sort of diet. How are you vegetarian and ya know…?” Cory joked lightly, nudging his boyfriend in his stomach.

“Maybe because all you do is try to feed me Chinese?”

“You can say no!”

“No I can’t! Besides, it’s my cheat meal! I’m allowed to enjoy myself once in awhile!”

Jokes aside, seeing the once terribly underweight boy, whose clothes were always hanging off his body and who would often take home Tupperware full of food just so he would have something resembling a meal to eat the next day. That same boy was now standing in front of him, nearly 40 years old with some unneeded extra pounds and maybe it was because they were both now older, but this was easily the hottest Shawn has ever looked, weight was attractive on him.

The sound of fingers snapping in front of his face caused Cory to jump out of his thoughts, Shawn was smiling at him in a way that made him grow immediately shy, face flushing deeply and he had to look away before he melted on the spot. “You done staring? Auggie is ready to go.” Shawn asked, crossing his arms as his smile turned into a smirk from the way he was acting, a smirk that evoked another type of feeling.

Cory glanced back up at the perfect being in front of him, his lungs felt heavy as he wrapped his arms around him, burying his face into his neck. “One more minute.” He mumbled, taking in the scent of the cologne that failed to mask his natural smell of car grease and lemon, scents that Cory spent his entire adolescences entranced by, everything about him really was perfect. “Have I ever told you, you’re the love of my life?” He asked softly, catching him completely off guard.

It was Shawn’s turn for his ears to grow hot, he didn’t say anything as he held him close, tipping his face up so he could press his lips against his. Cory smiled down at him when they pulled away, it didn’t matter how long they’ve been together, or how long they’ve known one another, Cory would always have the effect of increasing his heart rate to dangerous levels and he loved it. His thumb brushed against his cheek as he pulled him down into another kiss, he was his soul mate in more ways than one and he didn’t know what he would do without him, he saved him.

Suddenly Maya gagged loudly and Shawn couldn’t help but to laugh against his lips, she really was something else. “Riles hurry up! The gays are at it again!” She shouted up the stairs, causing both men to burst into laughter.

“Anyway! As I was trying to say before Shawn tried to kill a restaurant worker, would you and Riley like to handle shopping so you don’t starve?” Offered Cory, grabbing all three of their coats before digging through his pockets to fetch his wallet. “Don’t blow it all on junk, I don’t want to eat a Hot Cheetos tuna sandwich for any day of the week, I rather die.” He handed the blonde a stack of bills.

“Can’t make any promises, but I will probably try.” Said Maya, catching the car keys Shawn threw her way. “Thanks Shawn, I will promise not to damage her.” She grinned as she unlocked the car, looking over to see Riley clonking down the stairs in a cute pink suspender dress with a white sweater that had Hello Kitty on the front. “Why are you so fucking cute, oh my god.” She wheezed out, clinching her chest as she fell back onto the sofa, ignoring the stern glare shot her way.

“Guess it’s just a genetic thing.” Shawn said, sneaking a look towards Cory who only blushed in response.

Riley was blushing softly as she fumbled with her hands and smoothed out her skirt. “Am I really that cute?”

“You’re so cute I could **die**!” Maya said in an over the top manner, sliding off the couch with a loud exasperated groan.

A small smile tugged at Riley’s lips and they all said their farewells as they all went their separate ways. “So kiddo, what are you and your little girlfriend going to do at her house?” He asked, helping Auggie get buckled up.

“She planned for us to go on a shopping spree, I’m paying of course.”

“Of course.”  
  
“Then we’re gonna go play at the park, she wants to me to hit Krys with a swing because he stole her cookie and no one steals my lady’s cookies.” Auggie said, face serious as he clenched his fist together, a fire of determination in his eyes.

“Please don’t do that.” Cory stressed, getting into the driver’s seat. “I don’t want to have to call your mom because her 11 year old is in baby jail.” He knew whatever he said was going through one ear and out the other, but one could hope their son was actually gonna listen.

Shawn gave him a look of pity, taking his hand is his as they began to pull out the drive way. “Matthews men are just whipped it seems.” He joked in a hush whisper, leaning over to kiss his cheek, he could hear Auggie ‘aww-ing’ behind them to his embarrassment.

“Hey! I am not whipped!” Cory gasped in an over the top manner, hand clutching his chest. “I just knew how to choose my battles.” He pouted, But Shawn only laughed harder.

“I’ve been there for almost every battle, you did not choose wisely.”

He might’ve had a point but he wasn’t going to let him know it and instead just focused on the road with his pout growing larger, ignoring the feeling of Shawn kissing his other hand.

The entire trip was spent with Auggie telling stories about what he and Ava did at school, it was almost cute how in love they were at such a young age, Shawn was in a similar boat with Cory, ever since their hands touched in the popcorn bowl at the age of 12, he’s been in love with that curly-haired spastic maybe even earlier than that. After stopping by a Sheetz to get some breakfast, they eventually arrived at some other apartment.

“Have fun Auggie, please don’t murder a kid.” Cory asked, no one could tell if he was joking or genuine, watching through the rear view mirror as Shawn freed the child from his prison.

  
“Okay I won’t, bye dads!” Auggie hugged Shawn tightly, nuzzling into his neck before hopping down and running towards the main door to push a buzzer, it was Ava who rushed down to invite him in.

Shawn cleared his throat, blushing madly as he tapped the window. “I’m driving, move out the way.” He said, not waiting for a reply and opened the door for him. “Got the house to ourselves for a little while, unless you want to do lunch of course.” Letting his voice drop low and he smirked up at him as he got out of the car, hands moving up to fix the collar of his shirt to Cory’s displeasure, letting out a small whine as he tried shooing Shawn’s hands away.

“We can do dinner, more romantic.” Cory said with a goofy smile, giving him a quick kiss before they changed seats. “Besides, I have assignments outlines to finish anyway.”

Now it was Shawn’s turn to pout, wasn’t exactly the type of activity he was planning. “Come on, can’t you do that tomorrow? This is supposed to be our day! Who would ever pass the opportunity to do the down and dirty with _the_ Shawn Hunter just to do some stupid school work!?” He asked exasperated, hands flailing in the air, he liked to call out Cory for being over the top but he wasn’t really much better at times.

Cory scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Someone who would like to keep their job Shawn, the kids will be home tomorrow and I would like to get this done without any interruptions all right? I promise I’ll make it up to you.” He took his hand in his and rubbed circles onto the top with his thumb.

“And I thought today couldn’t get worse.” Shawn huffed, kissing his hand anyway. “Might as well take me out back and shoot me with your knife, you backstabber.” Cory laughed

“You’ll survive.”

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


Cory was sitting on the hood of the car, face in hands as Shawn paced around the empty parking lot ranting to the person from AAA on the phone, their car decided it was the right time to start failing, but luckily they were able to pull off into an empty parking lot. What wasn’t so lucky was the fact that it was going to take at least an hour and a half for someone to come down, which would’ve been an inconvenience but doable for other people but Shawn wasn’t other people, and now he was threatening to find where the operator lived and bust out ever god damn window in their probably garbage Ford. Cory was embarrassed to say the least, anyone and everyone who walked past, couldn’t help but stop to watch the meltdown erupting in front of them.

  
  


“I don’t give a fuck that ‘ _all our men are busy’,_ if someone doesn’t come down soon; I will gladly light the building on fucking fire and laugh, I’ll fucking laugh.” Shawn could see people staring at him and one look was all it took for them to continue walking, today was not his day and he was probably going to have to go to jail, he wasn’t in the mood. Today was supposed to be perfect, all he wanted was to take his boyfriend out on a romantic date, maybe get some later and be told he was the greatest boyfriend alive. Was that too much to ask? Shawn was about to say something else but with a click he realized that welp-

  
  


  
  


_they hung up on him._

  
  


  
  


“Hello? Are you serious? He hung up on me! The nerve of this guy!” Shawn groaned, thunking his head against the hood of the car, he didn’t need to see the look on Cory’s face to know he was also upset but he knew it was more so at him which hurt, he was such a screw up. “Ugh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to go off like that, it’s just… can you believe this? How much worse can this day get?!” And because God obviously hated him, it suddenly began to downpour, causing Cory to yelp out as he rushed to get into the car while Shawn just stood there and allowed himself to get drenched. It seemed nothing today was going to go right and he decided to just accept that as a fact. Shawn groaned as he rested his face in his hands, feeling like garbage as all he wanted to do was give Cory a day that almost measured up to him, but he couldn’t get do something as simple as make breakfast.

  
  


Cory was watching with pity from inside the car, wishing he knew what to say that would magically make everything better, he hated seeing Shawn like this. He stepped outside, feeling the rain almost immediately soak him from head to toe as he moved to sit on the hood next to him, resting his hand on top of his and they both stayed like this for a while without a word.

  
  


“I’m sorry for ruining your day.” Said Shawn suddenly, his words catching him off guard.

  
  


“You didn’t ruin my day, it was almost entertaining in a way if I’m being honest. Now how about you tell me what’s really bothering you, you’ve been tweaking out all day, and that’s my job.” He said with a small laugh, earning an eye roll in return.

  
  


Shawn was quiet as he examined Cory’s face, trying to determine if he really should tell him how inside he’s been dying at the idea that they weren’t going to work, sure they’ve made it this long but is he actually truly happy? Does he regret being with him and is he now nothing more than just a pity date? That he was nothing compared to Topanga. He sighed softly. “Do… do you love me?” He asked quietly.

  
  


Cory gave him a small smile. “Of course I do, you know that- I. Love. You. So. Much.” He said, kissing him with each word causing Shawn to lighten up and the two of them began to laugh together. “I called the girls, they’re gonna meet us at home and we can just call an Uber after the guys come to pick up the car. Now let’s get out of the rain before we get sick and die, and I ain’t dying like that!”

  
  


Shawn grinned as they grabbed each other’s hands, running off to find a store to take shelter in and also possibly buy some towels, it was always like Cory to see the best in everything and made it seem like it all can’t be too bad right?

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


Riley and Maya had just finished putting the groceries away and decided to flop down at the couch, they were gonna be home alone for another hour or so, so why not just chill and watch some t.v? Maya had her head settled in the crook of the brunette’s neck, legs intertangled with one another as Riley searched through Netflix, finally settling on some cooking show that they couldn’t remember the name of, but it was pretty interesting and it didn’t hurt that Riley had been really into cooking for the past couple of years.

  
  


Throughout the show Riley was stealing glances over at Maya, examining how beautiful her features looked in the dim lighting, illuminated by the flashing colors of the t.v. It made her heart feel fluttery in her chest, her lungs heavy. She wondered if this was how Shawn felt when he looked at her dad, he really truly loved him then she was suddenly hit with a ping of guilt as her mind drifted back to the fight from many years ago, she said so many hurtful things that no one deserves to be told. Riley finally decided that she wanted to make it up to him, she cared about him and knew he deserved at least that much in return. “Hey Maya?”

  
  


“Yeah Riles?”

  
  


“So I’ve been thinking-”  
  
“That must’ve been a very difficult time for you.”

  
  


Riley gave her a look, trying her hardest to stay serious as a cheeky grin grew across the blonde’s face, she was such a little shit but she guessed that was one of the reasons why she loved her. “Anyway! I was thinking we should bring the restaurant to them, set the mood with some romantic lighting and candles, decorate the table and then you can leave the cooking to me! I’ve been binge watching Gordon Ramsay videos on Youtube and I’m now kinda an expert.” She said proudly with her chest, her smile only growing wider as Maya shook her head.

  
  


“You’re the boss master chef, just don’t burn down the house. Shawn might actually have a heart attack, that’s just how his day is going.” Said Maya, looking in drawers for a table cloth while Riley searched the fridge to try and find something to cook. “No meat remember? Shawn’s a vegetarian.” She quickly reminded her when she noticed her pulling out a pack of chicken to check the date.

  
  


Riley huffed in annoyance and put it back, opening the cabinet to find some alternatives. “He’s a vegetarian and dad’s been bringing him Chinese so often for no reason? He thinks it’s his favorite! This is going to crush him!” The brunette settled on stir-fry and took out some vegetables to cut up.

  
  


“No it’s not, he’s just been trying to convert him and failing.” She cleared the table of the plants before laying down the cover, smoothing it out before setting the table neatly. “Shawn just doesn’t have the heart to tell him no. Now, where are those candles?”

  
  


“Just take the ones out of my room.”

  
  


“Rodger”

  
  


Riley’s heart felt fluttery as she chopped the peppers into long slices, it wasn’t a lot but she hoped this helped Shawn’s bad day even if just a bit. He’s done so much for her and her family and she was grateful that he was in her life. It was funny to think how once planned to make him Maya’s dad, how she wanted him and Katy to get married and live in this big house. Now instead here they were, Shawn dating her dad and it seemed he now wanted to that relationship one step further and that thought cause her to smile wide, she really loved those two.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


Both Maya and Riley were sitting in silence as they tried to think of a new plan and forget about the now melted pan that was stuffed under the sink in an attempt to hide evidence. “Okay, so apparently I’m not a chef.” Said the brunette, lips pursed tightly to keep from either laughing or crying, much like her father you never knew what you were gonna get.

  
  


“No, no, why would you say that? It couldn’t be the possible house fire would it?” Maya was the one who had to come running through the house, flaming pan in hand to throw in the bathtub in pure panic, almost mirroring Shawn from this morning, must’ve been bad luck via association.

  
  


“Let’s not talk about that now, what we need to talk about is what do we do now?” She said, standing up to check the cabinets just as a pair of giggling school girls came in- oh wait, it was just Shawn and Cory.

  
  


The two adults stopped in their tracks as they looked around the scene before them, the candles dimly lighting the room as soft music played in the background, it was almost like they just walked into a quaint little restaurant… well _almost_. The smell of melted plastic and burnt something or another filled the room, what exactly happened here? It was quiet for awhile, the four of them completely still as they stared at one another, Maya and Riley looking frazzled with their clothes skewed and hair all over the place while Shawn and Cory stood there completely soaked, everyone looked like such a mess.

The silence was broken as they all instantly broke and started laughing obnoxiously loud, today was a disaster. “What is all of this?” Asked Shawn, taking Cory’s wet coat to hang over the radiator as well as his own. “And why does it smell like you melted a pan to the stove?” He asked, his nose crinkling up in disgust and with the way the two girls were looking guiltily down at the ground… “Oh my god… I cursed this family! What have I done!?” He was only joking but it was feeling less like a joke when Riley pulled the pan from it’s hiding spot. Shawn glanced over at Cory, his lips in a flat line and his expression blank.

  
  


_Oops-_

  
  


“Riley…? How do you- how do you melt a pan?” I just- I just wanna know for uh for curious sake.” Cory asked, obviously on a verge of a mental break as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  
  


“I have no idea.”

  
  


“That’s nice.”

  
  


Shawn decided it was time to break the tension as he clasps his hands together loudly. “How about you girls clean up and after a shower I’ll order pizza . That way the house won’t burn down and we won’t starve, it’s a win-win.” He grinned with a shrug, nudging Cory to get him to follow after him.

  
  


Maya scoffed softly and was trying to hide her smirk, she and Riley shared a glance. “Yeah _shower_ , have fun you two.” They both started laughing as Cory quickly covered his flustered face with his hands, teasing him was way too easy.

  
  


Shawn shot Cory a look of pity, he could tell they were destroying the poor man’s nerves even more than they already are, sure he was always frizzled even as kids but having a wild child with an even wilder best friend, absolutely destroyed him. “Hey remember when you melted a pan?” Shawn asked suddenly, causing both girls to go quiet before they all started giggling.

  
  


“Remember when you ruined breakfast?” Riley countered back and he exhaled loudly out his nose.

  
  


  
  


_She got him there._

  
  


  
  


Wanting this entire conversation and day to end, Cory took a hold of Shawn’s hand and dragged him away towards the master bathroom that was connected to their bedroom. The moment the door closed, the stress of the day melted away as he pushed him against the door gently and kissed him briefly before they pressed their foreheads together. “I love you Shawn Hunter, you have my whole heart.” He said softly.

  
  


Shawn’s heart ached instantly as he smiled up at him even in a vulnerable moment such as this, all he could think about was Topa- no! He had to stop focusing on the past and try to move on with their future. “You’re such a dork, Cory Matthews.” He kissed him again and then moved to turn on the shower to a sufferable temperature that they’ll both enjoy. “We definitely need this after the day we had.” He laughed as they began to strip down.

  
  


“You mean that day you had? I’m not the one who almost burned down the house and then tried to kill two different people.” Cory pointed out, a shiver shooting through him as he got under the warm water first with Shawn not too far behind. “Promise me you won’t do that again.”

  
  


“We both know I can’t do that.” His grin was wide now, blinking as water got caught in his eyelashes. “I have impulses that cannot be controlled!” He laughed while the other let out a small groan of discontent, sure he gotten better at controlling himself with not doing everything and anything that popped into his head, but there were still times were he just _had_ to do it. “But I guess I can try for you.” Shawn said in a low tone, pushing him gently against the shower door as he began kissing down the side of his neck, stopping when he produced a soft moan and moved to nibble on his lower lip instead before kissing him. He missed being able to touch him like this, between Cory working and taking care of the kids, moments like this were rare.

  
  


Cory’s ears felt hot as he kissed him back, just being able to kiss him was one of his favorite activities, it was so soft, intimate and everything that came after it was appreciated but it wasn’t what he was after. What he was after was just being with him every moment he was able to, holding him close and making sure he knew that he loved him and no one will ever be able to replace him and- oh! The feeling of Shawn attacking his left nipple, tongue swirling around the sensitive bud and sucking harshly , jolted him from his thoughts and brought him back into reality, the reality that they were both hard and practically grinding against one another. “I love you, I love you so much.” He breathed out, grabbing him by his face and pulling him up into a kiss, his hand reached down to grab his member and he-

  
  


“Hey guys?”

  
  


Both men let out the girliest of screams as they whipped around to see Maya holding the shower door open with her head popped in, her focus completely on their faces to keep herself from getting scarred for life.

  
  


“Maya! Wh-What the hell are you doing!?” Cory basically screeched, who knew his voice could ever go that high!

  
  


“Stop- Stop screaming! I just wanted to ask where the money was, the pizza man is here. You were taking too long and we’re hungry!” She huffed, sticking her tongue out at them. “This was supposed be a quick shower, you have girls who are starving out here!”

  
  


“Shit, fuck, fuck! Jesus Christ! There’s money in my wallet on the counter! What is wrong with you!?” Shawn should’ve known something like this would’ve happened on a day like today, he just can’t win! Who would’ve thought it was possible to get the boner scared out of you, unbelievable!

  
  


“Thanks Super Dad, thanks Mr. Matthews! You’re both the best! Bye-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!” Maya blew the both kisses before running out of there, cackling like a demon from hell. Where do you come up with this stuff? This isn’t normal, _she_ isn’t normal.

  
  


Besides the sound of the shower running, the bathroom was quite as both men tried to come up with an explanation as to why they deserved this, how did they get into this situation and just… how do you go on living after that? “Well that was a waste of a hard-on.” Shawn scoffed, scratching his beard as he watched Cory step out, he looked physically and emotionally drained yet still had that damn goofy smile.

  
  


“Especially when they’re so hard to come by at your old age.”

  
  


  
  


_Speaking of not knowing how to go on-_

  
  


  
  


Shawn needed a minute for his soul to come back into his body as he stared at Cory, he didn’t need to kill him like that but he still did it, and he was suppose to love him! “Okay, okay… I see how it is, you think you’re funny?” He asked, turning off the water and grabbing the towel he was offered. “We’ll see how funny you are when that ass is mine.” Shawn said a bit too loudly as he slapped Cory’s ass earning gags from the two girls sitting at the kitchen table, they were eating pizza as expected. “Shut up and eat your food.”

  
  


“We will if you don’t make us lose our appetite first!” Riley shouted between bites, nudging Maya with her elbow as they giggled to each other. Before long a fully dressed Shawn and Cory came out and sat at the table with them, the girls had eaten most of the pizza but that was all right, neither were very hungry anyway.

  
  


“How did shopping go kiddo?” Shawn asked, picking the pepperoni off of his pizza. “Anything exciting happen?”  
  
“Not really, Maya threatened to murder an old lady who almost hit us with her cart though.” Said the brunette, collecting hers and Maya’s plate to wash off in the sink. “Also tomorrow, we’re going to go to Lucas’ house if that’s okay.”

  
  


Sensing Cory was about to fly off the handle, Shawn quickly grabbed and squeezed his hand and spoke up for him. “Yeah that’s fine, just don’t say too late. You’ll give your old man a heart attack.” He said, giving him a look of pity. Cory scoffed.

  
  


“Don’t worry Super Dad unlike you, we won’t fight a restaurant worker.” Maya said as she took a sip of her drink, chewing slightly on the straw.

  
  


“Riley literally told me you threatened an old lady, not even that long ago.”

  
  


“Not the same thing!”

  
  


“How!?”

  
  


“Okay bye-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!” Maya ended the conversation quickly as she grabbed Riley by the arm and yanked her up the stairs, living the grown men alone.

  
  


A small sigh left them both and they finished their dinner in silence, sending each other stupid gifs on their phones to help pass the time. With a kiss they went their separate ways, Shawn was going to do the dishes while Cory went up to his room to work on his agenda for the next few school weeks. He stared down at the glasses as he washed them, being alone with his thoughts was never good but he tried to stay focused on his task. It was difficult, he was beyond tired and just wanted to slip into bed and disappear, putting the glasses in the rack did his mind decide to start whirling. Shawn went back to the living room to sit on the couch, all of his focus was on the carpet, Topanga’s favorite carpet… Why was it here if it was _her_ favorite, surely it she would’ve taken it right? They didn’t need to keep it, either of one them could’ve bought a new one, but they didn’t and instead kept hers, a reminder of her…

  
  


  
  


_oh_

  
  


  
  


The sound of the remote hitting the ground startled him as well, he didn’t even realize he was throwing it until it left his hand. When there was no one who responded to the commotion, Shawn got up and grabbed his coat to head outside, it was late but he didn’t care, he needed a moment to himself. The rain had stopped as he sat down on the stoop, not caring if the seat of his pants got drenched and pulled out an old forgotten pack of cigarettes. He promised Cory a long time ago that he would stop smoking and he did, but lately old habits were starting to come out of the wood works hard. Even though it was lit, he didn’t t actually put it in his mouth and instead just leaned against the door, playing with it between his fingers to see how long it took before he got burned.

  
  


The sound of the door opening caught his attention but he didn’t look behind him because he knew who it was, she always seemed to be able to sense when something was wrong. “Hey sailor.”

  
  


“Hey Katy, what are you doing out so late?” He asked, finally taking a long drag and then handing it to her for her to put out like she always did. “Couldn’t sleep?”

  
  


“Not with those boots of yours clomping down the stairs like that. You could raise the dead if you wanted to.” The blonde woman smiled warmly at him, she reminded him so much of Cory and it was no wonder why he had a thing for her once upon a time. Katy was kind, quirky, and so incredibly yet enduringly awkward, she would’ve been the perfect for him except… she just wasn’t Cory. “Now tell me, what’s eating ya?”

  
  


Shawn examined her face, trying to gauge if he should really open up to her about what was bothering him. It made him feel guilty that he could only open up to her about a few things and not Cory, but it was immediately replaced with bitterness when he concluded that Cory was the same way with Topanga and now he had no problem telling her. “Thinking about Cory and Topanga, the world’s most perfect couple.” His voice was stiff as Katy leaned over to squeeze his knee and she handed him the surprisingly still lit cigarette.

  
  


“There’s no reason to stay stuck in the past sweetheart, you’re over analyzing the situation and letting yourself get worked up over nothing. Cory loves you more than everyone in this entire world, Topanga knows this, I know this, hell even the kids know this! Now get your butt back in there and spoon your man! I ain’t letting you ruin this one!” Katy’s smile lit up her entire face, her eyes were determined about something that he didn’t quite understand yet. “You gotta stop trapping yourself in your own head, he wants only you.” With that she gave him one last pat on the shoulder and went inside her own apartment, leaving him alone with his thoughts once again.

  
  


Cory had just finished his work and crawled into bed, hand gently touching the spot where Shawn lays with a small smile on his face. He yawned softly and curled up on his side, pulling the blanket up near his chin and tried to go to sleep. Cory was almost there but the sound of the door opening and closing quietly roused him, he rolled over to see Shawn changing into his pajamas aka just a pair of sweatpants. “Aw, you’re wearing clothes this time? How cruel!” His voice full of mock anguish.

Shawn just smiled weakly towards him and slipped under the covers next to him, pressing his body close to his and enjoying the feeling of being able to hold him. Cory sensed that he didn’t want to talk and instead just laid his head in the crock of his neck and they stayed like that until they fell in love, just too goofs in love.


End file.
